Demos to Die for...

The ladies of Fleetwood Mac: Stevie Nicks (L) and Christine McVie (R)



    Well, JDSkills has done it again.  I have found some more amazing demos that I am seriously obsessed with and you my fellow Macters, will be able to get a quick listen.  I found some really great demos that are written and sung by the ladies of Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks.  These next couple of demos have never seen the light of day ...until now. 

    Here is one that makes me want to bust a move.  This song is written by Christine McVie and was supposed to be on the epic Rumours album in 1977. After listening, I can hardly say I'm surprised.  The song is full of drama and anger towards Christine's ex husband and fellow band mate-bass player John Mcvie.
Look at these lyrics...

"Even though you've stopped the sun from shining
Well I've tried my best, but it may not be enough...

 What can you say to accuse me
When you know I'm not to blame?"

    Now I'm guessing that these lyrics are directed at John for two reasons.
 1.)  It was written in 1977 and who else would she be talking about? 
 2.)  These lyrics seem to make sense for John Mcvie who at the time was pretty much a raging drunk. Well, maybe not RAGING- I think that's a bit harsh.  He just got drunk from time to time and Chris McVie simply grew tired of it. She tried, but there is only so much that a lady can do with a husband who has a drinking problem.  Poor Chris...

    And might I add, Stevie is also doing vocals with Chris on this song and together, they both sound awesome!  Stevie can certainly relate to these lyrics.  She herself was going through her own messy breakup with guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.  I like to think of this song as a mutual  shout out towards both of their previous lovers in the band.  The song perfectly fits the aura of the album at the time and I think it would have been phenomenal on the Rumours album. 

Despite the sad lyrics, it is a rockin' song so go ahead and take a listen!

Believe Me Christine McVie

  This next song, is probably one of the most beautiful songs that Stevie Nicks has ever written.  This song was written in the 1970's,- it is hard to figure the exact date, but from the tone of her voice, I am guessing it would somewhere around 1976. 

    The name of this song is China Doll and was written about Lindsey Buckingham (or it has been speculated to be written about him.)  It is song about the vulnerability of a relationship.  She, or the relationship itself, is the China Doll in this song, for at any moment she could break.  Nicks and Buckingham went through their many ups and downs throughout the years and this song perfectly describes the relationship limbo that Nicks was in at the time. Stevie Nicks has written hundreds of beautiful songs, but If I had to choose, this would be her most vulnerable and honest song yet.  It is one of those songs that I don't think even belongs on an album.   This song is almost too private to be shared with the world...

...But I am sharing it with you.  Take a listen...

China Doll Stevie Nicks

  So those are only two songs that I will share, but there are TONS more that I will post later on.  Thank god for youtube.com or we would have never even known that these demos even existed!  In my opinion, raw songs like these are the next best thing to going back in time.  I am transported back to a time when songs were based off real emotion. It is refreshing to be able to listen to good music...

Real Music.

I'm on a demo high and need to check out more...maybe I'll post them later!  Till next time...

JDSkills

Mick and Stevie Affair....SAY WHAT?!?!?

  I'm about to drop a BOMB on you.  Steve Nicks and drummer Mick Fleetwood had an affair back on the last leg of the 'Rumours Tour".  That's right, even these two got at it! I know, I was just as shocked as you when I first found out.  When I look at these two I just don't "see" them together.  I always thought the couples were Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and Christine and John McVie.  Those were the couples in the band and that was IT!  Seriously, sometimes you take a step back and look at all the relationships within the band and think "Man, that is a band of incest right there".  Well, it was bound to happen right?  I mean you put rock stars on the road for over a year and its almost a guarantee that a new love affair/fling/experience is going to arise as a result.
  When I first was informed of the love affair, I couldn't believe my ears.  However, I had to be blind to not know that the affair was already well out in the open. There are plenty of texts and interviews out there of Stevie and Mick being fully open about their affair, but like most of you reading, I too was once a Fleetwood Mac Rookie.  I didn't know the inside scoop on the relationship drama.  In other words, I didn't know half of what comprises the band Fleetwood Mac.

  So me, being the little snoop that I am, wanted to find evidence that these two got their "Mac" on.  (haha pun intended!)  I scouted out through my folder of vintage tour footage and found some awesome videos from The Rumours Tour.  I fast forwarded to the last leg of the tour which was in 1977-1978.  These videos are probably my favorites because you actually  get a glimpse as to what touring with the band was actually like.  The footage was done by some unknown film-maker who was simply just a friend of Mick Fleetwood himself.  He tagged along on the tour simply filming as everyone went about their business.  The footage is much like that of a home video.  Very real, very raw, and a GOLDMINE to snoops like me looking for an affair in the works!  Now, I obviously wasn't scouting out for intimate things-that's just a little freaky- but I wanted to catch hints and inklings of this shocking affair.  Low and behold, I found a few clips with Stevie and Mick acting a little more "close" than usual. 



Catch it at mark 1:18.  TUSH GRAB!


Mick creeps in on Stevie doing her makeup at 22 seconds and Stevie could very well just be goofing around and giving Micks make-up a touch up....or we can think of it the "snoop/fun" way and think she is coming up with any excuse just to get her hands on him!  She also seems to be very giggly and smiley when he comes into the picture...

Seriously, I only have two videos that I could find on YouTube.com that come from that footage which is torture for me since I know that there is much more out there! If I can figure out how to upload the footage that I have, then I sure will!  There are little glances, looks, talks that happen that seem to verify that this love affair was indeed happening.  I love it when I find little mischievous tid bits like that!  It makes being a Mac fan all the more fun!  It may not all be accurate, but that's the fun in speculating!  Lets speculate for a few more minutes.  Now knowing that there was a fling between Nicks and Fleetwood puts a whole new meaning to these following pictures.  What do you think?

This comes from the 1977 cover of "Rolling Stone Magazine"  The picture illustrates the different relationships within the band.

  So its sweet isn't it?  Two people who don't seem to fit the "mold" of a perfect couple suddenly do.  They had a lively passionate romance, however there was a down-side.  The sad part about this love game was the fact that he was married at the time to London-based model Jenny Boyd and had two little girls. I guess that's  the sad risk of having a rock star as your husband.  He is gone for months at a time and even when he isn't on tour, he is in the studio recording for his next album.  I am in no way excusing Mick of his actions, but at the same time I need to ask Jenny "What did you expect?" Marrying a famous rock star has its consequences and unfortunately, the risk outweighed the marriage this time around.
There you have it Macsters. Mick Fleetwood. Stevie Nicks.  Love Affair.  I think the short romance was a bit "out there" but as a result, we the listeners received great music!  This song that I will leave you with was written by Stevie Nicks and it was about Mick Fleetwood.  The song was called Sara.  "Why the name Sara?" you may ask.  Well lets add a bit more drama to the already chaotic mix shall we?  Sara Recor was a model and one of Stevie Nicks' closest friends.  Recor and Fleetwood started a relationship whilst he was still being involved with Nicks.  Recor claims otherwise and said that she and Mick started their relationship after he and Nicks called it quits.  Regardless, the two fell in love and eventually married in the late seventies. You may think that Nicks would have been livid with the fact that Sara and Mick started something together, but the truth is that Nicks was more upset with Fleetwood than Recor.  In fact, Sara Recor was actually in the room with Nicks when she wrote the song!  Wow...Stevie sure was an understanding friend.

   I'll let you all escape the drama by simply listening to the beautiful song Sara which is off of the 1979 album Tusk...

JDSkills

"All I ever wanted, was to know that you were dreaming..." -SN

Never Break the Chain...

  As I write to you now, I am listening to one of the best albums of all time. If you haven't already guessed, it is Fleetwood Mac's 1976 album called Rumours.  The name for this album perfectly describes the turmoil of this band.  When this album was made, every single member of the band was going through a break-up.  You had guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and lead woman Stevie Nicks breaking up.  At the same time, piano player/songwriter Christine McVie and bass player John Mcvie were going through a divorce.  Drummer Mick Fleetwood was getting a divorce from his wife Jenny Boyd. (Yes, Patty Boyd's sister and sister in law of Beatle George Harrison).  It's bad enough going through a divorce-it probably made it ten times worse to know that you were divorcing George Harrison's sister in law.  Ok I'm getting off topic...
  So within one paragraph I briefly explain to you the background behind this dynamic, heartache-fueled album.  Actually wait, now I'm going to describe to you the background.  Listen to the album and it is like reading the diary of each of the band member. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have a long history that started even before they joined Fleetwood Mac.  If you check out this link from VH1 you will see that they had a relationship and started recording together when they were young and struggling musicians.  They had an album, Buckingham Nicks, that was successful in only a few states within the country-particularly Birmingham Alabama.  The album dropped in 1974 and  Buckingham Nicks were struggling just to keep food on the table.  The skies opened when drummer Mick Fleetwood went into their studio to meet with Lindsey and Stevie's producer Kieth Olsen.  Mick was looking for a guitar player and Lindsey seemed like a good guy for the job.  Lindsey and Stevie were a package deal, and in order for them to have Lindsey in the band, they needed to take Stevie too.  Taking both of these musicians would be one of the best decisions that the drummer had ever made for his band.

  So the band makes a first album self titled "Fleetwood Mac-White Album" in 1975 selling around 300,000 and 350,000 albums.  It was obvious to anyone that these five people had a strength in performing and writing music, but their strength would be tested when the couples were set out to record their next album.  Like stated before, the couples within the band were breaking up during this recording, only to stir up emotions to create dynamic songwriting.   The band recorded in Sausalito California in a small recording  studio.  Imagine going through a breakup while having to see the person day to day  If you look at this link from the same VH1 interview at around mark 4:20, you will see that the only way in which this band could communicate their troubles and passion to each other was through the music.  Lets take a look at some lyrics from songs in this album.  You have Stevie Nicks writing a song called Dreams in which she says to Buckingham...

         "Now here you go again

          You say you want your freedom

          Who am I to bring you down?

          It's only right that you should play it the way you feel it
          But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness."

Lindsey Buckingham shows his feeling on the breakup in a different light when you look at the lyrics of Go Your Own Way...
                                                                              "Tell me why, everything turned around?

Lindsey Buckingham on guitar

                   Packing up, shaking up is all you want to do.
                   If I could, baby I'd give you my world
                   Open up, everything is waiting for you."


   Just compare these two songs and you will see two people going through the turmoils of a breakup and expressing their feeling through their music.  Stevie sings in a lighter approach when she tells him that she understands that he wants to be on his own, but he will miss her when he is lonely at night.  Look at Buckingham's song (a hit might I add...)and you will see that he is just plain angry with the breakup.  I mean come on!  Packing up and shacking up is all Stevie wanted to do?  (I would love to here Nick's reactions on that lyric)  Now lets put them both in a tight studio and see what happens!  A soap opera to say the least...

  Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks wrote songs of each other within the album, but lets look at Christine McVie whose hit song You Make Loving Fun is actually written about another man...other than her ex-husband John Mcvie. Rumor has it (no pun intended) that this song was written about lighting director Curry Grant.  It could be speculation, but with this band you never know. Lets put ourselves in the mind of bass player John Mcvie.  Imagine doing the bass parts of a song written by your ex-wife.  Not only do you have to work with your ex-wife, but you must contribute to a song that is obviously written about another man other than yourself...and the title is You Make Loving Fun  Ouch... to say the least...

Christine McVie and John McVie when they were happy

        "Sweet wonderful you

        You make me happy with the things you do

        Oh, can it be so

        This feeling follows me wherever I go."

Later in the song she sings...
                       
     "Don't break the spell
      It would be different and you know it will
      You make loving fun
       I don't have to tell you, but you're the only one."

Again....ouch.  Sorry John :(

  I need to take a break now, but come back here in a few days you will get your Fleetwood Mac fill.  Lets take a step into Stevie Nick's closet next time.-Wouldn't that be fun!?  Ok it might not be her real closet, but with all her fabulous flowy clothes we can at least imagine can't we? 

Thanks guys!
JDSkills